


Xefros, Make Them Pay

by Lolara



Category: Hiveswap, Homestuck
Genre: Blood and Injury, Mild Gore, Multi, Other, Our babies do suffer a bit, Protective Joey, Protective xefros, Xef and Joey will need therapy, Xefros goes rage mode, future act predictions, sorry - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-07
Updated: 2020-11-07
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:28:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27428686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lolara/pseuds/Lolara
Summary: When Xefros and Joey are caught and find themselves in a deadly situation, Xefros must face his own anxieties in order to save Joey.  Meanwhile, a strange feeling starts burning inside of him.  It left him with only one thought.Make them pay
Relationships: Amisia Erdehn & Chahut Maenad, Slight Xefros/Joey
Comments: 3
Kudos: 54





	Xefros, Make Them Pay

**Author's Note:**

> The Rage-bound tend to be most volatile and unpredictable of the aspects. At their best they are original, revolutionary, and fearless. At their worst they are cruel, uncompromising, and vicious. 
> 
> -The Extended Zodiac

It had all happened way too fast. So fast that Xefros didn’t even have time to react. Not that he had the strength or mental capacity to do anything anyway. What could he have done to stop it? Nothing, there was nothing he could do. There is nothing he can do. 

This entire journey that he and Joey had been on seemed fruitless. In the beginning he had hoped that there would be some slim chance that they would both make it out of this alive. He would help Joey get to her home planet, and Dammek would return as well, and he would finally lead their rebellion to victory against the dreaded heiress and her subjugglators. Maybe they could even visit Joey on her home planet, and she could visit them back, and……

What was the point of having all of those irons in the fire now? It was foolish to think that any of that could be possible. Especially now, while both he and Joey sat in cages waiting to be slaughtered by a giant axe wielding purpleblood and her tiny indigoblood cohort.

He had heard of these trolls. They were the reason that Dammek had created a strict curfew for him. The small one was mostly famous for dismembering trolls and using their vibrant blood hues as paint for her twisted works of art. The other was a leader of one of Alternia’s most well known clown churches. The church was also no stranger to the massacre of over millions of lowbloods as a form of worship for their “mirthful messiahs.”

Xefros took a moment to look around the room they were caged in. Blank canvases surrounded their cages, with each cage placed in the center of the indigoblood’s “art” studio. Both he and Joey were in separate cages right next to each other. If Xefros wanted to, he could have reached his hand through the bars and touched her, but he held back the urge.

The walls of the room were covered in white sheets, with each sheet stained with a specific blood color. One being burgundy, another bronze, and so on. It looked as if somebody was testing out the colors before being used on a canvas Of course there was no fuchsia or violet stained sheet. Xefros could tell that a couple of the sheets were stained with different hues. Although trolls in the same caste would have the same blood color, it was not unusual for some trolls’ blood to be a slightly different hue. Tall wooden shelves that were nailed to the wall contained jars of paint were arranged similarly, each color arranged from lightest to darkest. Xefros would have admired the careful organization if not for the horrifying situation they were in. Xefros shuddered at the thought of all the beheaded trolls it took to fill all of those jars. He wondered where his and Joey’s jar would be placed. 

Joey had told him that her blood was red, but she never went into much detail about the kind of “red”. Apparently all members of her species had the same blood color, even the beasts on her planet had red blood. They had no horns, no sharp teeth, no psychic abilities or any kind abnormal physical strength. They were powerless and weak, a species that, if given the opportunity, could be invaded and successfully overtaken by the Condesce and her army of drones.

Joey was quiet, huddled in the corner of her cage closest to his cage. Her arms wrapped across her knees and head lowered between them. After they were caught and caged by some teal bloods, she had tried to think of any way to escape. She even let Byers fly out the window with hope that he could bring back something useful for them to use. No such luck, he had been gone for over 30 minutes. Both of them came to the conclusion that the only way to escape was to either wait for a miracle, or for Xefros to use his telekinesis to open the cages. Both possibilities were very unlikely. Xefros had strained as hard as he could to open the latch to Joey’s cage, but it was no use. His head was still throbbing in pain from the effort he put in, too bad it wasn’t enough. Xefros was used to disappointing trolls who counted on him the most, but for some reason, disappointing Joey in the same way felt way worse.

Xefros jumped a bit to the sound of the door to the hive opening. The first to enter was the small Indigoblood. She dawned a smock that was an off white, stained with blood. The next to enter was a massive purpleblood. Her hair and horns so long they almost reached the floor. Much like her friend, she was also covered in multicolored blood from the waist down.

“I musT ask, why did we keep the rusTblood alive wiTh The Tiny muTanT?”

“Becauuse, I want to see what huue its blood is. I still need maroon and this one could finally have the huue I’m looking for.”

Xefros couldn’t make out much of what they were saying, the only sound he could hear was the ringing his headache was giving him. From what little he could collect from their conversation, he learned their names were Chahut and Amasia. It was surreal in a way, knowing the names of his enemies right before they snuffed the life out of him. It’s not like that information would be useful anyway.

“Bring me the guutterblood first. We’ll save the alien for later, I want to make sure my axe is extra clean for them.” Amisia said gleefully. She was acting as if instead of committing murder, she was getting ready to bake a delicious cake. She didn’t care about the troll and the human who were scared out of their minds. To her, they were nothing more than a resource to use and exploit as she pleased. 

Chahut made her way towards Xefros’ cage, the entire room slightly shaking with each step she took.

“WAIT!!”

All three trolls were slightly startled by the sound of Joey’s voice breaking through the air that was thick with suspense.

“M-my blood is maroon colored. You don’t want his blood, mine is the one you want.”

_Joey!! What are you saying??_

“Really?? Perfect, go ahead and grab her chahuut, I’ll grab the axe and-”

“Hold on!!!”

Both trolls looked at Joey expectantly.

“Let him go.”

“whaT?”

“Let Xefros leave, you already have so many red colors, what’s the point in wasting your time on a color you already have?”

Amisia looked inquisitively at Joey, as if she was considering her proposition. She then shrugged her shoulders

“Ya youu’re right, red blood can be such a mess to cleanup, it also splatters everywhere even on the cleanest cuts.” She nodded toward chahut.

Chahut opened Joey’s cage and grabbed a hold of the black hood she was wearing, lifting her effortlessly out of the cage.

“I thought you said you would let him go!”

“LiTTle alien, we will leT your morail go laTer...buT righT now we goTTa hurry and collecT your blood for my scrapbook...This sisTer’s goTTa geT To church here soon.”

“Oh youu and youur clown chuurch, do youu ever talk abouut anything else?” Amisia said incredulously, looking at the highblood with a condescending stare.

Chahut didn’t answer her, she instead focused on the task of holding Joey for Amisia, who started to make her way towards, them, axe in hand, with an innocent smile on her face.

Suddenly, Joey had thrown her hand up in Chahut’s face, releasing a puff of red smoke in its wake. Chahut howled in surprise and dropped the alien, giving her enough time to put some distance between her and the two trolls. She had planned to bolt for Xefros’ cage, but it was risky considering his cage was in arms length of Chahut. 

“WhaT The fuck is in my eyes??!! The liTTle moTherfucker blinded me!!!”

“There it goes!!”

Joey bolted for the door, only to find that it was locked. Not wanting to stay in one place for long, she ran for the shelves of paint and started climbing them, knocking down jars of paint and causing them to break and splash paint and glass all over the floor. Once at the top shelf, she staggered and gathered a couple of jars in her arms, and started chucking each and every jar at her assailints.

“NOOOO!! not my paint!! I had a system youu little shit!!”

Amisia’s small grin was long gone and had turned into a raging sneer. She made a beeline for a small step ladder. She opened it up and proceeded to climb it and make her way to the top shelf where Joey was perched. She was met with a jar of yellow breaking against her face, knocking her off the ladder and onto the floor. Leaving her face now covered in the mustard hue, and some glass shards sticking stuck into her face.

“AAAHHHHHH!!”

Amisia screamed, trying to whip the blood out of her eyes. Chahut had since given up trying to whip the red dust out of her eyes, which were currently watering and puffy from whatever Joey had thrown in her face. She started moving towards the sound of Amisia’s wails, hoping that said direction would also lead to the scrappy alien. Joey did not let up though, raining complete havoc on the both of them with every jar and color she could get her hands on.

Xefros stared in awe. How could she do it? The odds are completely stacked against both of them, how can she still be fighting to stay alive? Xefros had long let go of any possibility of escape, and he thought Joey had as well. Instead, there she was, fighting with all she had to survive. It was admirable to say the least. She reminded him so much of Dammek and his stubborn unwillingness to give up. The tetrarch had always been a fighter, always saying that he would rather go down guns blazing than submit to the highbloods’ tyranny. How Xefros wished that Dammek was here to take the lead, and save them from the fate of becoming splattered paint on a canvas. He could tell Xefros what to do, and Xefros would try to the best of his abilities, but would probably end up failing at any task given to him. Dammek would still pick up the slack for Xefros, he always did.

_Dammek’s not here….he’s not coming to the rescue...Joey can’t do this alone, she has no powers or strength. She…….needs help._

But what help would Xefros be? The only thing he was good for was taking orders, and he couldn’t even do that correctly. Xefros isn’t a leader, he’s a follower. What if he made the situation even worse. He can’t do this. He just can’t. It would end in nothing but miserable failure and the both of them would die horrendously.

_Please!! Someone, just tell me what to do!!_

_I believe in you Xefros!!_

Joey’s words suddenly repeated in Xefros’ mind.

_I don’t think you’re nothing, in fact, I KNOW you’re not nothing. You’ve got plenty of your own bravery!_

A strange feeling surged through Xefros in that moment. He couldn’t tell if his headache had suddenly made him come full circle, or if he was on the verge of a thinkpan breakdown. It was a feeling that Xefros could only describe as anger, only much more intense and it left him with an uncomfortable burning in his chest. He gripped the bars of his cage.

“XEFROS!! I’m coming buddy, hold on!!” He heard Joey shout from the top of the shelf, her throwing ammunition was starting to run low. It wouldn’t be long before both trolls regained their composure.

He looked up at Joey’s face, she looked absolutely terrified. Xefros was familiar with fear, he had seen it in the faces of many trolls before they took their final breaths. He always felt so much pity for all those trolls, but seeing Joey’s face scrunched up in fear and desperation made the strange feeling burning inside of him grow stronger.

Joey. She was the first being to ever tell Xefros that he was worth something. The first to ever make him feel like he was cared for, that he had some purpose in this life. She wasn’t just fighting for her own survival, she was fighting for his too. Even though she was outnumbered, powerless, and scared, she was using everything at her disposal. She had many reasons to live. She had a so-called brother and a home planet she had to return to. If only Xefros had such a reason to live.

A thought hit him like brick on concrete. He did have a reason to live. Dammek may be gone, but Joey was right here, with Xefros, trying to save him. Those freaks were trying to hurt her. They were trying to kill her, and take away the best friend and only he ever had. 

Xefros. was. _Livid_

It’s not fair. It’s not fair. It’s just not fair. Why should Joey have to suffer for any of this? She didn’t ask to be sent to this cursed planet. She didn’t ask for any of this. Here she was, about to be culled simply because some highblood _bitches_ felt like it??

Xefros’ eyes started to glow bright red, and the bars of the cage started to bend ever so slowly

_Make them pay. Make them pay. Make them pay. MAKE THEM ALL PAY._

His hands started to glow in the same bright red. The bars of the cage bent smoothly apart, leaving a wide gap for Xefros to crawl through.

“GoTcha now liTTle alien!”

After Chahut had regained her senses, she made an immediate lunge towards Joey, the shelf was high, but not high enough to keep the giant troll from reaching her. She grabbed Joey by her leg and pulled her off the shelf, holding her upside down. As she turned, she was met with a small fist which had so much force behind it that it had knocked her off her feet. She crashed against the shelves, causing them to break and fall on top of her head. Her grip on Joey loosened, leaving Joey helpless and falling head first onto the floor. Joey shrieked and closed her eyes, expecting her skull to meet the hard floor.

She was surprised to find that the impact never came. She opened her eyes to see her face hovering mere inches from the floor. She was suspended in mid air, a red mist like energy surrounding her. The energy flipped her upright and set her down on her feet. 

“Xef?”

Xefros didn’t answer. He stood between Joey and Chahut. His blazing and angered gaze was fixated on the ruthless highblood. Chahut rose out of the rubble of the shelving, a dark look on her face. Her eyes still watering from the dust, and her mouth curved into a light snarl.

“How….how are you...My chucklevoodoo, iT doesn’T affecT you.”

Xefros said nothing. His only retort was an angry growl that sounded like it came from the darkest pit of his protein chute.

Xefros wasn’t aware of Amisia sneaking up from behind. She wrapped her arms around Xefros in a death grip. He let out a pained wail as the indigoblood tightened her grip around him, trying to squeeze the life out of him with her enormous strength. 

“LEAVE HIM THE FUCK ALONE!!“ Joey yelled. She launched herself onto Amisia’s back, grabbing her by the horns almost as if she were trying to steer her like a rider on a horned beast.

“Get off me youu freak!!” Amisia threw her head back and slammed into Joey’s face, causing her to fall off her back and clutch her nose. Blood dripped from in between the fingers she had wrapped around her nose. _Candy red_ blood. It made both the indigo and purpleblood turn and stare at her with widened eyes.

“Her blood....it's-”

“Candy red…….finally.” Chahut drawled out, as if savoring the word.

Xefros let out a feral scream. Objects in the room began to glow bright red with energy from his telekinesis. Everything from the broken glass of the paint jars, canvases, paint brushes, and chairs, began to float around the room. An axe was swept up in the fray. It had positioned itself in midair right next to Amisia’s head, almost as if some invisible person was holding it getting ready to chop down a tree. Amisia only had enough time to turn in shock as the axe’s blade made its way towards her. 

The axe swung, and made contact with Amisia’s neck.

With a wet smack and splat, Amisia’s head was sliced clear off her shoulders, landing on the floor with a meaty thump. Blue viscera sprayed like a geyser from her neck. Her grip on Xefros completely frozen in place, leaving him with the chance to break from her grip. 

“NOOO!”

Chahut let out a grief ridden wail. She ran over to Amisia’s head and picked it up, cradling it as if it were a wriggler. Amisia’s eyes were still open in shock, blood trickled down the side of her mouth, which was opened slightly, as if she were about to speak. 

“I will never forgeT you my mosT vicious sisTer, I will make sure your memory is honored in The holiesT of ways.” She leaned close to the head and whispered something. Nobody heard what exactly she whispered, but it sounded like she gave a prayer. She set down Amisia’s head, and turned toward Xefros. Her expression was grim, and looked almost bored, if not for the menacing glare her eyes gave off.

She grabbed his entire head in her hand, lifting him off the ground. Xefros squirmed and writhed, hurling every object caught in his telekinesis at her at a lethal pace. Glass shards and paint splattered against her body, leaving cuts and bruises, but she did not budge. Even when a chair flung against her head and broke into pieces, she remained standing, as if what was hitting her was nothing more than little pebbles.

“Plea-hease stop!!” Joey sobbed, trying not to look at the severed head and instead focused on Chahut. “We just want to leave, why can’t you just leave us alone?!! What did we ever do to you??!!” Joey’s voice was angry, but there was also anguish behind it as well. “We’ll never show our faces in front of you ever again, please just let him go, It’s not his fault!! It’s mine!!”

Chahut looked toward Joey with a dark expression. She was beyond reasoning. Her pity well was bottomed out. Her friends decapitation made sure of that

“Don’T worry, I’ll make sure your deaTh is quick and painless, whaT you have done Tonight is noThin compared To whaT This one has done.” She grabbed a hold of her axe with her other arm, holding it up by the handle, clearly ready to use it for its intended purpose. “You have no place here, noT in this life.” She inhaled. “Or The nexT.”

“Nooo!” Joey grabbed the end of axe, trying to keep it from swinging. Chahut flung Joey off her arm and she fell against the floor with a meaty thump.

Xefros didn’t know what had compelled him to do such a thing, but when the thought crossed his mind, he didn’t hesitate.

He grabbed a hold of the arm that was holding his head and placed his feet against Chahut’s body, almost as if he were trying to stand on her. He started to push against her body with his legs, keeping a tight grip on her arm. The glow around his eyes and hands still a blazing red. He straightened his body. With a loud crack, the sound of Chahut’s arm popping out of it’s socket was deafening.

“AAAAAHHHUUHUH.” The scream that followed was almost otherworldly. It sounded like a mixture of a tortured purrbeast and a baabeast. She released the axe, letting it clang against the floor and used her other hand to try and pry Xefros off of her arm. She shook, and slammed him against the wall, making the entire hive tremble, but Xefros wasn’t done yet.

He wasn't stopping for anything.

Within seconds, a wet tearing sound could be heard. Chahut’s scream got even louder, so loud that it had caused Joey to cover her ears. The tearing continued, until it had turned into a wet pop, followed by a spurting noise.

Xefros fell to the ground, taking Chahut’s arm with him. Chahut fell backwards, still screaming in pain. Massive amounts of purple blood and muscle meat exploded from empty arm socket, soaking Xefros in even more blood, adding purple to his otherwise blue stained clothes and skin. Chahut placed her hand over where her arm used to be, trying to stop the blood from gushing. Her scream turned into grunts and panged shrieks. She fell back against the wall, sliding down to a sitting position against it.

“Xefros!!”

Xefros didn’t answer, he was on the floor, Chahut’s arm still in his grip. His telekinesis had cut short, everything that was in its grasp suddenly fell to the floor in loud clangs. His eyes no longer glowing, instead staring blankly and emotionless.

Joey ran to him, trying to ignore the blood and Amisia’s severed head. She let out a gag, grabbing the severed arm and throwing it off Xefros and away from herself as quickly as possible. She placed her arm under Xefros’ head and held him in her lap, trying to ignore the fact that her clothes were now being stained in purple and blue blood

“Oh no…..please, nononononono..Xef, please open your eyes, please don’t leave me!!”

Xefros tried to speak, but his voice came out as a small, wrangled groan. His head felt as though it had gone through a blender, the pain almost unbearable. Every inch of his body throbbed. A wave of nausea overcame him, he would have vomited if not for his empty digestion bladder. All he could do was dry heave.

“Xef!! What should I do??! How can I help you??!!”  
Xefros tried to even his breathing. Simple breaths of air took so much effort that it sent shock waves of pain up Xefros’ spine. Joey’s voice sounded like it was underwater, his vision getting blurry. 

“J-Joey…..not dying……..just tired.” His voice sounded raspy, as if he had gargled gravel.

“No nonono don’t close your eyes Xef!! Please just…..OH!!” Joey exclaimed, sounding as if she had cracked some kind of code. She flipped through her sylledex, praying to any god that was listening that she would find what she was looking for.

“Got it!!”

She held a grub juice can in her hand. She had remembered the extra can she stored away in her sylladex. Remembering that the contents of the beverage aided in restoring his psychic powers, and ease the pain of the headaches he got after he used them. She opened the can and held it up against his mouth.

“Drink up Xef, this should help you feel a little better.”

Xefros tried to open his mouth, but he was so tired that instead his mouth just hung lazily. Some of the juice from the can dribbled down the corner of his mouth.

“Come on Xef, you can do it just open your mouth-" 

It wasn't working, Xefros was too weak. How could Joey get the juice into his mouth? Joey halted for a minute, she looked at Xefros with wide eyes, struck with a sense of realization. She took the can and poured the contents of it into her mouth. Making sure not a single drop was wasted.

She grabbed Xefros’ face in her hands and placed her lips on his, pushing the liquid from her mouth into his. In any other circumstance, Xefros would have been incredibly embarrassed by the situation, but he was in too much pain to really care. He used whatever little strength he had left to force the grub juice down his protein chute and into his digestion bladder. Once he was done, Joey pulled away, still propping his head up in her lap. They stayed like that for a while, waiting. 

Xefros could feel his vision starting to clear up, his breathing started to even out. He still felt exhausted and weak, but the pain was much more bearable and his head no longer felt as though it was being repeatedly slammed against a hard surface. 

Joey made a spitting noise, her face contorting into a disgruntled wince.

“Blech, I don’t know how you guys can drink this stuff, it tastes awful.” Joey gagged.

“I...I’m s-sorry.”

Joey let out a small chuckle

“How many times do I have to tell you. Stop apologizing.”

“So-....ok.”

Joey helped Xefros sit upright, lifting his arm over her shoulder and standing up. She let Xefros lean against her and use her as a crutch.

“Come on, let’s go get ourselves cleaned up and find a place we can rest for a while.”

A growl came from behind them. They turned their heads to find Chahut looming over them, still clutching her wound, and blood still leaking from it.

“Y-y-you…...I didn’T Think iT was possible, buT iT really is YOU.” Chahut’s voice shook. She suddenly fell to her knees, raising her single arm and bowing forward.

“The second mirThful messiah...is finally here.”

“What are you-” Joey was cut off from Xefros’ legs buckling. She almost fell down with him, but managed to keep his arm securely around her shoulders and started to lead him out.

“Just…...stay away from us.” Joey said curtly, obviously not wanting to entertain anymore of Chahut’s banter. Slowly, she and Xefros made their way out the door, which had thankfully been blasted open earlier from Xefros’ telekinetic rage. 

They didn’t look back.

\-----------------------------------------------

"Jegus, whoever did this definatley wanted to make some kind of statement." 

Amisia's home was flooded with teal blooded law enforcers. Crime tape surrounded the house, a number of trolls gathering surrounding both the outside and the inside. Two trolls stood in the middle of the carnage, observing and trying to make heads or tails of the scene before them. One thing was clear, whoever did this was ruthless. 

"It's hard to believe Chahut would do something like this. She and Amisia always seemed so close. Why would she up and kill her all of a sudden?" 

"Oh, it wasn't Chahut that did this." The troll said observantly. 

"how do you know, Chahut's the only subjuggalator that Amisia knows personally, she's not here and obviously left signs of their struggle." 

The troll walked over to a certain spot on the floor, using it's gloved hand to touch a specific pile of blood. 

"Wait...Is that-?" 

"Yep.....candy red. Whatever attacked Chahut and Amisia, it is definatley not a normal troll."

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading. Sorry if it's a little all over the place, this is my first one shot. I'm trying to get better at my writing.
> 
> I've been reading a lot of spooky and horror stories for Halloween so I decided, "hey, why not pop out my own grimdark story" I know it's a couple of days late, but eh, who cares.
> 
> Feel free to let me know where I can improve.
> 
> Thanks


End file.
